The Art of Peace: Jizai Okimono from a Private Collection
Eagle
Signed artist name MUNEYOSHI (given name TANAKA Tadayoshi; ? – 1958)
Early 1900s
Iron
On view Tuesday, April 29-September 28, 2025
A captivating new exhibition showcasing jizai okimono—intricately crafted movable sculptures. The 19 sculptures in this exhibition are quite unusual. They represent the shift from warrior-rule in the Edo period (1603-1868) to a constitutional monarchy in the Meiji period (1868-1912). These works of art were traditionally made by armorers. However, as the ruling shoguns were able to maintain peace for over 300 years, there were fewer and fewer requests for new armor. In order to maintain their skill and precision, the metalsmiths of the mid-Edo period turned to more artistic endeavors – creating jizai okimono. Ji-zai (自在), means articulated or movable; and oki-mono (置物) are decorative objects. The works are realistic representations of animals and mythical beasts with joints that allow full range of motion. The art objects quickly became collectors’ items outside of Japan.
This exhibition is partially Funded by The Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation and Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation
Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide
Member Preview Day: Friday, May 2, 2025
Open to the Public: Saturday, May 3 – Sunday, August 17, 2025
Morikami Museum is pleased to present, Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide, which explores the lives of more than 45,000 Japanese women who immigrated to the United States in the aftermath of World War II. This exhibit illuminates previously unknown American immigration stories and offers space to rethink how we hate, why we love, and what it means to be American. Produced by The War Bride Experience, Inc., the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
This exhibition is partially Funded by The Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation and Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation
Women of Yamato
Open May 1-Aug. 24, 2025
Before the War Brides, there were picture brides. Explore the story of the “picture brides” in our upcoming exhibit, showcasing how Japanese women played a pivotal role in shaping the early Japanese American community. Between 1907 and 1924, these women traveled to the U.S. to marry men they had never met, helping establish vibrant immigrant communities.